Kyougen

Ado
Kyougen

J-pop needed a new voice to make sense of the challenges Japan’s youth faced in the 2020s, and singer Ado was happy to provide it. Still in high school at the time, she caught instant attention with her 2020 debut single, “Usseewa.” On the track, she railed against the grinding expectations of the nation’s work culture, how younger Japanese are forced to be subservient to their elders, and more—all centered around a hollered hook translating to a particularly aggravated “Shut up!” “Usseewa” became a phenomenon, connecting with Gen Z listeners looking for understanding. For her 2022 full-length debut, Kyougen, Ado went beyond righteous anger. Still putting the failings of modern society on blast, the songs in her first collection also explore a wider range of emotions and sounds. She examines relationships both fledgling (EDM ballad “Fireworks”) and troubled (the swinging “Domestic De Violence”), while also reveling in the possibilities Tokyo provides for young adults (“Yoru No Pierrot”). Through its list of producers, the LP served as a celebration of Japan’s Vocaloid community. Ado developed her passion for music via online communities built around the singing-synthesizer software. By 2022, Vocaloid’s impact on J-pop was clear from producers-turned-stars like Kenshi Yonezu and YOASOBI. Kyougen found Ado enlisting artists from this digital space: long-running names such as Giga and Mafumafu alongside contemporaries WhaleDontSleep and jon-YAKITORY. Everyone brought their signature style to Ado’s debut, creating a rich musical diversity and an innovative take on J-pop.

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